Illusion
by Eulene
Summary: Ran meets Shinichi once more... But is it really him or merely an illusion? [one shot fic - inspired by the 3rd movie]


Disclaimer: I do not own any of Detective Conan. 

A/N: This was inspired by the 3rd movie of DC. Why isn't it showing in Singapore?! Ah!! Anyway, hope you guys like this… do give your comments… and please… please do review!! Thank you!

Illusion 

Night fell like a heavy cloak of darkness on the busy city of Japan – Tokyo, muffling the sounds that filled the busy streets in the day…

Out of the clear windows of the darkened room of her father's detective agency, the teenage girl stared out, her gaze falling onto the deserted road outside. The silver disc in the dark blue expanse, together with lampposts on either sides of the lonely street illuminated the dark corners, exposing its secrets…

When was he coming back?

Maybe… If she wished hard enough, he would just turn around that corner of the street at the moment and come right up…

Shinichi…

A noise, from the back of her, awoke her from her dream-like state. Wide blue eyes filled with a certain longing fell on a tiny figure, silhouetted in the darkness by the dim light of the table lamp. 

Conan…

Perhaps it was her imagination…

Or perhaps it was her longing…

For in the background where little Conan stood, she could almost see Shinichi…

Just a ghost of him…

A mere shadow…

And in the little boy, that same shadow was present too…

"Very similar… So similar to Shinichi…"

Even saying his name, made her hurt so much inside… 

The pain within…

It was simply tearing her up inside…

Her eyes glazed over as she turned her back towards him, her head tilted up to search for the glowing silver disc that floated in the dreamy night sky, as if in an attempt to not let the boy see the tears that threatened to fall.

Or perhaps it was because of him, his likeness to Shinichi that brought tears to her eyes?

But the moon was no longer there…

Just like Shinichi, the defender of the truth was no longer there…

Dark clouds gathered instead in its place…

Shielding it from her sight, hidden behind its secrets…

Preventing her from seeing it…

In her mind, the last sight of the glowing moon seemed to modify itself into a smiling image of Shinichi…

"There was a period of time, when I thought you were him… I thought that Professor Agasa had concocted some drug to make you small in an attempt to save you from some bad guys who are after you…"

Letting out a hollow sounding peal of laughter, together with some tears that she was unable to hold back, she paused just for a moment before continuing, "How far-fetched… I guess it isn't true…"

"You are just another person…"

She turned around, facing the boy.

And those twin cerulean pools that were filled with so much longing, sorrow and hope hypnotized the boy…

Hope…

"Right?"

One word…

Just one word held so much hope in it…

And it was this hope that broke the little boy out of his heavy thoughts.

He had tried all ways to keep himself from revealing his identity to her. In his mind, were the ever-present low warnings of Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara.

_"The organization will spare no one… Once your true identity is leaked out, they will hunt you down, and kill all who knows you… All whom you love…"_

But it was this hope present in her voice that made his resolution to keep his true identity from her waver.

"…"

The boy stood where he was, silent and unspeaking. For in that intelligent mind of his that had solved so many cases, the decision was made.

It was time…

Time for the truth to be told…

Breaking the silence first, in that innocent child-like voice of his, Conan Edogawa spoke, "Ran…"

While speaking, he took off those large round glasses of his, which he had initially worn to prevent her from recognizing this child-like form of Shinichi Kudo.

They were no longer needed…

"In fact… My real identity is…"

"Shinichi!"

The boy looked at the girl, shocked.

Had she known all along?

Following the gaze of her eyes, he turned.

And there at the narrow doorway of the agency, stood…

Shinichi Kudo.

Her footsteps echoed in the room as she dashed up towards him, unable to believe her eyes.

He was back…

Finally…

Reaching out a hand as if wanting to touch him, to see if he was real, Ran stopped herself when she saw the droplets of rainwater on him.

"I… I'll get you a towel to dry off!"

And off she spun again, running to the backroom of the agency to rummage for a clean towel. The door slammed behind her hasty exit, its impact reverberating through the room.

The youth whom she called Shinichi simply stared at the door before turning to leave. 

His task was accomplished.

"Wait… Kaito Kid."

The little boy had followed the older one down the steps. Both now stood on the long dark narrow pavement of the street. Back towards the child, the teen let out a short piercing whistle. Wings flapped and a white flash streaked the sky briefly before a white dove landed on the shoulder of its owner.

Easily, the teen turned around to face the boy, returning Conan's knowing smile with a nonchalant look, as more doves came to settle on him.

While the confrontation between the two took place, upstairs, Ran stroke the rough surface of the thick towel, with a smile on her face.

Yes… He was back…

Picking it up, down she ran…

And back downstairs, the teen infamous for numerous ingenious thefts smirked.

"So great detective, solve this last mystery…

Why have I turned up as Shinichi Kudo?"

With a quick glance to the stairs, he snapped his fingers. The white cloak of doves he wore became scattered at the noise, and up they flew, far away, into the dark night sky…

Down the feathers fell, as if like feather-light snowflakes onto the ground…

Picking one out of the air, the little boy studied it, his eyes unreadable.

"That's simple… You helped me, only because I've helped you…"

Looking up as the last of the feathers succumbed to gravity, Conan whispered, "But I thank you…"

His gaze now fell on the forlorn figure of the girl he loved…

The look of disbelief on her face…

She looked…

Lost…

But his resolve to hide the truth from her was now strengthened, for he really couldn't bear to put her life at a risk…

Ran…

And as usual, Conan had hit the nail on the head…

Who could understand how lost she felt right now?

Once filled with the hope, holding onto the promise of his return, the sight of his return had filled her entire being with an unexplainable joy. Yet now, even that promise seemed to no longer stood…

What more had she to hold on to?

So lost…

Her eyes flicked to the spot where he had just stood not more than a minute ago.

And there in the place of Shinichi Kudo, there was…

Nothing…

Gone he was, like the dramatic exit of a magician…

Or perhaps it was even comparable to that of an illusionist…

Was that what she had just seen?

An illusion?


End file.
